Presidential Advisory
Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) chairman Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) on Sunday
said the law allows Nigerians to defend themselves from being massacred.
He backed the advice by a former Minister of Defence and an
elder statesman, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd.) that Nigerians should
defend themselves against killers.
Sagay urged the Federal Government to investigate Danjuma’s
allegations that the armed forces were not neutral.
According to him, the
allegation that the armed forces guide the bandits to kill people and cover
them up were “serious”.
Sagay said: “General Danjuma did not say that the military is
incapable. But he accused them of bias and not protecting the people
deliberately. That’s a very, very serious accusation.
“And this is coming from such a senior man in Nigeria’s military
– probably apart from former General Olusegun Obasanjo and General Yakubu
Gowon, he (Dajuma) is the most senior former military officer we have – and
he’s a man who has tremendous influence.
“He has held important positions – chief of staff, minister of
defence – so, he won’t speak lightly. So, his allegation needs to be
investigated.
“If there are elements within the military doing this, then the
government has to take immediate steps to deal with them and put people who are
responsible and patriotic in the positions.”
Asked whether resort to self-defence by Nigerians would not
result in anarchy, he said: “That’s an interesting point. It’s a point I’ve
always made myself. It’s not an illegal measure for Nigerians to defend
themselves. If you look at our criminal law, there is the principle of
self-defence.
“If someone attacks you, and you feel endangered, and you defend
yourself, and in the process you kill the person, the fact that you were
defending yourself is a complete defence to any charge. The right already
exists.
“So, I think what General Danjuma is saying is that instead of
each individual exercising that right, they should begin to exercise it
collectively in their communities. I think that’s reasonable too.
“There is breakdown of law and order if you’re in your house and
someone comes and kills you. I think there will be less danger of breakdown of
law and order if that person knows that the next time he comes to your house,
all your neighbours would gather and stop him.
“So, I think it’s worse for people to lie down complacently
doing nothing while they’re being massacred,” Sagay said.
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